Processes to create discrete corrosion defects on substrates and establish corrosion NDI test standards

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatuses are provided for creation of discrete corrosion defects with a wide range of diameter to depth aspect ratios for painted test standards. Also provided are methods for use of those test standards to characterize the corrosion under paint detection threshold, statistical reliability, and accuracy of NDI and/or NDT techniques including but not limited to flash thermography, ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing, microwave testing, shearography, and infrared testing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/779,265, filed on Mar. 3, 2006. That application isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relate to the fields of nondestructiveinspection (NDI) and/or nondestructive testing (NDT) of substrates forcorrosion. Preferably embodiments relate to a process for creation ofdiscrete corrosion defects on substrates and to creation of standardsfor NDI and NDT. Hereinafter “NDT” will refer to uses for both NDI andNDT, unless otherwise indicated.

2. Background

Painted or coated substrates, including those substrates constructedfrom traditional steel and aluminum alloys as well as more moderncomposite and sandwich structures, present particular challenge foranalysis by traditional NDT methods. For convenience, and unlessotherwise noted, “paint” shall be used herein to refer to both paintsand coatings when used as any part of speech. For painted parts orcomponents, corrosion does not generally become evident until it hasprogressed far enough to disrupt the integrity of the paint. If thepaint has not been disrupted but corrosion is still suspected to havebegun at the surface of the substrate, identification of corrosion hasrequired removal of the paint or other coating. Some methods that may beused to detect corrosion, such as hammering an area and listening forsounds characteristic of possible corrosion, is subjective and may beunreliable and/or may require a high amount of training and skill.

Whether the corrosion is discovered following disruption of the paint orafter intentional removal of the paint, the paint must be removed andthe substrate/substructure repaired and repainted after the corrosiondamage has been repaired. Paint removal and replacement results insignificant downtime, and it can generate significant hazardous waste,such as volatile chemicals and air pollutants.

It would be desirable to develop NDT corrosion test standards whichemulate specific substrates, coatings, and substrate orientations foreach application of interest. These NDT corrosion test standards couldprovide benchmarks for calibration of NDT systems, providing reliableand reproducible results for indicating corrosion damage and delineatingcorrosion damage from other mechanical defects under paint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide a process to create NDT corrosiontest standards in the laboratory. An NDT corrosion test standard iscomprised of a substrate containing one or more known corrosion defects,where the substrate and corrosion defect is covered with paint.Preferably the paint is primer and topcoat, though other coating typesand layers may be used depending on the application of interest.Embodiments of the invention also provide a process to create discretecorrosion defects on an substrate. Discrete corrosion defects may becreated by providing a substrate, masking the substrate with a substancethat will limit corrosion to one or more selected areas duringaccelerated corrosion of the substrate. Preferably this substance istape, preferably a polypropylene tape that will facilitate temporarymasking and leave no adhesive residue when removed subsequent tocreating corrosion defects, and that has been scored to remove areaswhere corrosion and/or mechanical defects are desired. These areas maybe of varying size and shape, though circular areas are preferred sothat a known depth to diameter ratio for corrosion and mechanicaldefects may be established.

Corrosion defects are created by immersing the substrate in a simulatedor natural seawater or saltwater bath and using the un masked substratesurface areas as an anode for the application of current; this createscorrosion defects in the areas not covered by masking. Mechanicaldefects, if desired, are then created which have the same unit volume asthe corrosion defects they were created from by removing the corrosionproducts by media blasting or another method known to those skilled inthe art. The masking is removed, and one or both sides of the substrateare coated. More than one layer or type of coating may be applied. Thecoated substrate can then be subjected to environmental stresses such asbut not limited to ultra violet and moisture in accelerated laboratoryexposure testing or naturally occurring outdoor environmental exposurefor an effective amount of time. These stresses may be applied, forexample, to duplicate environmental effects on the substrate. Forexample, the coated substrate may be exposed to a Xenon arc to simulatesunlight, or it may be soaked in fresh or salt water to simulate a rainforest or oceanic environment.

Following stress of the coated substrate, the coated substrate isconsidered to be an NDT corrosion test standard which can be used 1) forevaluating the detection threshold and sensitivity of an NDT method toand/or 2) used in conjunction with an NDT method for corrosion NDIinspection and characterization of a filed application having similarsubstrate and coating materials of construction. Results of the NDT arecorrelated to the known corrosion and/or mechanical defects created bythe above process. The NDT may then be used on other products and theresults compared with those obtained during testing. In this way a userof the NDT may determine if similar corrosion exist under a coating whenthe NDT is used to test the same substrate/coating combination on aproduct or asset that has been subjected to filed service.

Optionally, prior to creation of the corrosion and/or mechanicaldefects, the substrate is formed into a shape closer to that of theeventual product to be tested. For example, if the ultimate product tobe tested is an airplane wing bent at a fixed angle, the substrate maybe bent. Substrates may also be welded, riveted, adhesively bonded orotherwise assembled at any point in the process.

Further embodiments of the invention provide a method for characterizingNDT methods by such criteria as their detection limits, environmentalinfluences, and types of detected stresses by first creating knowncorrosion defects and/or other defects in the substrate to provide aknown baseline for an NDT method, then evaluating the NDT method.

One or more NDT methods may be evaluated including, for example, but notlimited to ultrasonic testing, flash thermography, eddy current testing,microwave testing, shearography, radiography and infrared testing.Substrates useful in the invention include but are not limited toaluminum and aluminum alloys, steel, and steel alloys. The substrateused in a particular NDT corrosion test standard will be determined bythe item to which the test results obtained using the test standard willbe applied. A substrate should be electrically conductive for theinstallation of corrosion defects to be successful. Paints suitable foruse in the invention include but are not limited to epoxy, acrylic,urethane, latex paints, enamels, and other organic and inorganiccoatings. In a preferred embodiment both a primer and a topcoat will beapplied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a masking material being punched with holes for creation ofdiscrete corrosion defects of selected sizes and locations.

FIG. 2 shows an aluminum substrate affixed to masking material of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus used to create discrete corrosion defectsaccording to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of an aluminum substrate covered withmasking material (from FIG. 3) during electrolytic processing.

FIG. 5 shows discrete non-corrosion defects being created by removal ofcorrosion defects with a blasting media.

FIG. 6 shows an unpainted test substrate with discrete non-corrosiondefects (left side) and discrete corrosion defects (right side).

FIG. 7 shows the same test substrate as FIG. 6, except the substrate ispainted, hiding the discrete corrosion defects.

FIG. 8 shows nondestructive flash thermography results detectingdiscrete corrosion defects (white, right) and discrete non-corrosiondefects (dark, left) in the painted substrate of FIG. 7. Seeing similarresults in a field test would indicate that the painted object likelyneeded stripped, repaired, and repainted.

FIG. 9 shows formation of an 8″ radius aluminum panel as described belowin Example 1.

FIGS. 10-16 show a variety of masking templates prepared as described inExample 1.

FIG. 17 shows the masking tape of FIG. 9 including punched holes.

FIG. 18 shows an aluminum test panel placed over the masking tape, asreported in Example 1.

FIG. 19 shows a masked aluminum substrate with a cutout for contact withthe anode connector.

FIGS. 20-23 show examples of treated, painted substrates tested withflash thermography according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Processes described herein allow evaluation of nondestructive testing ofcorrosion and non-corrosion defects under paint (or other coatings) andon the backside of a metal substrate. Suitable substrates include, forexample, but are not limited to heat treatable and non-heat treatablealuminum alloys, carbon steels, and alloy steels. Testing standards maybe developed, for example, for rotor-wing aircraft, fixed wing aircraft,ground vehicles, ships, vessels, storage structures, dwellings,highways, bridges, and other and transportation structures.

In a preferred embodiment, test standards are developed for substratesof varying thicknesses typical of the field application of interest (inthe initial development of this intellectual property substratethicknesses of 0.030″ to 00.060″ were used), with other varying physicalproperties, including curvature (or lack of curvature), use of adhesivebetween two or more layers of substrate, and use of mechanical bonding(for example, rivets) of two or more layers of substrate. In preferredembodiments defects range in depth and diameter typical of the fieldapplication of interest (in the initial development of this intellectualproperty defect depths ranging from 0.0005″ to 0.006″ and diameters from0.062″ to 2.75″ were used). Corrosion defects (and the similar unitvolume mechanical defects created by removing the corrosion products ofselect corrosion defects) may be installed on the surface of thesubstrate under the paint, or on the (unpainted or painted) backside ofthe surface, or both.

In one embodiment of the invention, the discrete corrosion defects arecreated by the following process. First, the desired diameters andlocations of corrosion and non-corrosion defects are cut into a maskingmaterial. Use of a template and a cutting took to cut holes in a maskingmaterial is shown in FIG. 1. The masking material is affixed to asubstrate to be processed, and the sides of the material are alsocovered by masking material. A substrate bearing a masking material isshown in FIG. 2.

A variety of masking materials may be used. A masking material shouldallow the corrosion to be localized to the desired areas on thesubstrate, but otherwise selection of a masking material is at thediscretion of the operator. Criteria used to select an appropriatemasking material will include durability during the corrosion process,ability to adhere to the substrate, and ability to prevent corrosiondefects in areas where they are not desired. In a preferred embodiment,the masking material is a polypropylene tape. In other embodiments, themasking material is selected from, but not limited to discrete rubberlike masking components clamped to the surface, paint, or other nonconductive materials.

The unmasked surface areas of one or more substrates bearing the maskingmaterial become the anode in a circuit. Any corrosion-resistant materialcan be fabricated and used as the cathode in the circuit. This mayinclude, for example, aluminum alloy or stainless steel. A DC powersupply (or equivalent battery) is used to power the process byimpressing a specific current. Electrical continuity is made from thepositive terminals of the power supply to the anode and from thenegative terminals to the cathode. The circuit is completed bysubmerging the cathode and anode(s) in a seawater or saltwaterelectrolyte.

To develop discrete corrosion defects on aluminum substrates, the powersupply is set for a target optimized current density of about 0.20 toabout 0.50 Amps/square inch of total defect area and energized forprocess duration in the range of about 10 to about 90 minutes, withgreater desired defect depth requiring greater time. To develop discretecorrosion defects on steel substrates, the power supply is set for atarget optimized current density of about 0.01 to about 0.05 Amps/squareinch of total defect area and energized for a process time of about 90to about 180 minutes (again, depending on desired depth), and the pH ofthe seawater or saltwater electrolyte can be modified with acid to lowerthe pH. Slight reduction of the pH of the electrolyte promotes theformation of more tightly adhered iron oxide corrosion products.

Principal corrosion products formed during the electrolytic process area metal oxide of the substrate or, in the case of an aluminum alloy,aluminum oxides or alumina. If the substrate is steel, the products ofthe electrolysis are iron oxide.

An example of an unpainted aluminum alloy substrate corrosion NDT teststandard containing discrete corrosion and non-corrosion defects isshown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 shows the same test standard after it has beenprimed and painted, and it should be noted that the defects arepractically invisible.

Discrete non-corrosion defects of the same unit volume as the discretecorrosion defects may be created following creation of the discretecorrosion defects. For instance, one might use an media blasting processto remove the corrosion products, leaving an indentation or hole in thetreated substrate where the corrosion products were previously formed.One might also pre-treat the substrate with an media blasting process topromote the formation of corrosion products, then mask the abraded areato prevent corrosion in the masked areas.

Following creation of the discrete corrosion and non-corrosion defects,the masking material is removed and the substrate is painted orotherwise coated. Optionally, the painted or coated substrate is furtherenvironmentally stressed to simulate coating degradation. For example, apainted substrate may be immersed in fresh water, saltwater, or otherchemicals for a period of time to simulate marine, rural, or industrialatmospheres. A painted substrate may also be treated with a xenon arc orartificial ultraviolet lamination to simulate sunlight. One mightfurther treat the substrate in the presence of moisture at high or lowtemperature. In a further embodiment, environmental stresses may bealternated to simulate even more severe environments.

Following creation of defects, painting the substrate, and, optionally,exposure of the painted substrate to environmental stresses, a corrosionNDT test standard is considered to have been created. The corrosion NDTtest standard can then be used with an NDT method of choice. SuitableNDT methods include, but are not limited to, ultrasonic testing, flashthermography, eddy current testing, microwave testing, shearography, andinfrared testing. The corrosion NDT test standards can be inspectedusing one or more NDT methods. Inspection data is collected using one ormore NDT methods. The data is then analyzed to characterize thecorrosion detection threshold and sensitivity of each NDT method ofinterest and create a library of results for corrosion NDT teststandards to be used for later comparison of data collected and analyzedon a product or field application. Field tests using the NDT methods onsimilar substrates with similar paints and/or coatings (preferably thesame substrates with the same coatings) may then be compared with thestandards developed from the controlled corrosion NDT test standardevaluation.

FIG. 8 shows the test standard of FIG. 7 imaged with flash thermography,a nondestructive investigation technique. The discrete corrosion defectsare shown in white, under the paint, and the discrete non-corrosiondefects are darker. Analysis of corrosion defects allows comparison ofaspect ratio and geometry expected from the known defects that werecreated. This may be used to tune the actual results obtained by theNDT.

Embodiments of the invention allow effective field and laboratory use ofnondestructive testing for detection of corrosion. In general, teststandards are developed and used according to the following process.First, a subject for NDT is identified. For example, the subject may bea bridge, or a fleet of aircraft, watercraft, or ground vehicles. Allmembers of the subject class should be constructed from the samesubstrate material and painted with the same paint (or, for example, thesame primer/topcoat combination). Likely areas of corrosion aredetermined, and the chemistry and morphology of the corrosion productsof the area to be detected for corrosion is characterized.Characterization of physical geometry and structural design of the areato be tested (flat or curved, if it has ridges or other elevations, orif it has overlapping substrates connected by adhesives, welding, ormechanical assemblies) shall be identified. The substrate to be testedmay have a uniform thickness, or the thickness may vary. The substratemay be supported by a strut or substructure.

After the area to be tested is characterized, material with acomposition identical to the substrate is procured, and the assembly isduplicated on a small scale. For example, curves, ridges or elevationsmay be added, or two or more pieces of a substrate may be welded,adhered, or connected. Corrosion defects are then created as describedelsewhere in this disclosure. To develop the process to create discretecorrosion defects in the laboratory, the process should be developed insuch a manor to develop corrosion products with similar chemistry andmorphology as the specific application of interest.

Following creation of one or more corrosion defects and, optionally,mechanical defects, the material is painted using the same materials asthe intended NDT subject. For example, if the subject has a topcoat andprimer of a particular composition, that topcoat and primer are alsoapplied to the material. This creates a corrosion NDT test standard forthat particular substrate and paint combination. Ideally, multiplecorrosion NDT test standards are created with different corrosionpatterns and amounts.

In a preferred embodiment, one or more duplicates are made of each teststandard. One test standard from each set of duplicates may be used ascontrol, while the others may be subjected to real or simulatedenvironmental stresses as described elsewhere in this disclosure.

After the corrosion NDI test standards have been created using aparticular substrate and paint combination, then are tested using one ormore NDT methods that may be applied to the originally selected fieldsubjects. Data from these tests is collected and stored. Performance ofmultiple non-destructive tests on multiple standards allows optimizationof analysis by each NDT method. If desired, test standards may becreated that have corrosion defects or mechanical defects of sizesand/or densities at or below the effective detection range of theselected NDT method. This allows confirmation of the detection range andoptimization of the NDT to be as near to that value as possible.

After the data from NDT of the corrosion NDI test standards has beencollected, field testing of the originally selected subjects isconducted using the same NDT method(s). Data from the field subjects iscompared to the data from the test standards, allowing an operator todetermine with confidence if corrosion or mechanical defects exist inthe test subject.

Corrosion NDI test standards created using a particular substrate and aparticular paint are most effective (and in some cases, only effective)for comparison with field subjects that have the same substrate materialand paint composition. If testing of a different substrate materialand/or paint is desired, different corrosion NDI test standards may beconstructed and corroded as described herein, and those test standardsmay be analyzed with NDT methods and the data collected.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are intended to guide those skilled in the art inthe practice of this invention. The scope of the invention, includingthe creation of corrosion NDI test standards with varying geometry,substructure, primer, topcoat, substrate material, or NDT material,should not be construed to be limited by these examples, which describecreation of a particular set of corrosion NDI test standards and use ofthose test standards to collect and analyze data for a particular fieldsubject.

Example 1 Preparation of Aluminum Test Panels

A number of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy test panels with thicknesses of both0.032″ and 0.063″ and cut to 6″×6″ were purchased from Alro MetalsService Center in Tampa, Fla. Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescencewas used to confirm that the panels were 2024 aluminum alloy. Because an8″ panel radius was desired, panels were formed over a 2″ schedule 40PVC mandrel, then compared to an 8″ radius template and adjusted to fit.Formation of the panel with the appropriate radius is shown in FIG. 9.

Eight aluminum masking templates were prepared, each with differentcombinations of holes of varied sizes. Seven of these templates areshown as FIGS. 10-16. Rolls of 150T Preservation/Fine Line masking tapewere purchased from Electrotape Specialties Inc., Odessa, Fla., in sixinch and 1 in widths. The masking tapes were 7-mil thick plasticizedpolyvinyl chloride coated with an aggressive non-thermosettingrubber-resin adhesive. FIGS. 1, 17, and 18 show the masking of onealuminum panel. As shown in FIG. 1, masking tape was placed on a rubbersurface under a template. Holes were punched in the masking tapeaccording to the template. FIG. 17 shows the masking tape with thepunched holes. FIG. 18 shows the aluminum test panel placed over themasking tape.

The back of a wooden brush was used to apply pressure to the maskingtape. Attention was given to the areas around the holes, to provide aliquid-tight seal. Pockets of air between the holes were permitted. Oneside of the aluminum test panel were masked with masking tape thatincluded holes punched according to the same template. The edges of thetest panel were also masked with one inch wide masking tape. Maskingtape was then removed from one corner of the test plate to expose thealuminum for future electrical conductivity needs. A completely maskedaluminum test panel with a corner cut-out is shown in FIG. 19.

Glass bead blasting was then applied to remove the chromate conversioncoating in the defect areas. Blasting was accomplished using the “BarrelBlaster” manufactured by Lake Buchanan Industries Inc. Removal of thechromate conversion coating gave the unmasked areas the lowest surfaceresistance possible, allowing a consistent current density in subsequentoperations. Glass Bead media of 100/120 screen size was used with aregulator pressure of 60-70 psig at a nozzle-to-panel distance of aboutfour inches. Loss of yellow color of the chromate coating indicated thatit had been removed and that blasting could cease. Usually this tookabout 10 seconds.

Example 2 Creation of Corrosion Defects

An electrolytic process was used to create discrete corrosion defects on2024 aluminum. The process utilized a masked aluminum substrate panelprepared according to Example 1, a 32 quart capacity plastic tankcontaining a natural seawater electrolyte stirred with a CorningStirrer/Hotplate Model PC-420, a cathode constructed from 6061-T6aluminum alloy (per ASTM B209M) as the cathode material, and an ElectroIndustries model DIGI 35A, 0-30 Volt/3 Ampoutput regulated power supplycontrolled by a GraLab timer model 171 (Dimco Gray Co., Centerville,Ohio) as a constant current source.

The stirrer was set on 10, and the hotplate was off. The naturalseawater was obtained from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and wasmaintained at ambient temperatures ranging from about 71 to about 81° F.Approximately 30 quarts of electrolyte were discarded and replenishedevery 70 minutes of current flow. During processing the electrolytetemperature did not increase more than 1 degree above ambienttemperature.

The aluminum cathode was submerged for a total exposed cathode area ofabout 220 square inches. Distance of the cathode to the test panel wasabout 7.5″. For most runs, three test panels were immersed in theelectrolyte and connected in parallel. This was done to allow threeidentical (or nearly identical) panels for a control group, simulateddesert group, and simulated tropical group.

The setup described above was modified for creation of larger defects.For 0.062″ diameter defects, a cathode with only 5 square inches ofexposure was used, and the unmasked exposed surface of the test panelwas oriented away from and positioned about 2″ away from the exposedsurface of the cathode. For larger defects, including 2.75″ diameterdefects, individual defects on each panel were processed consecutivelyto provide an adequate current density to create a defect.

Current and time were both varied to change the corrosion defectcreation. Ideal current density of 0.3 Amps/square inch was established,and that value was used as a starting point for all otherconfigurations.

Example 3 Creation of Non-Corrosion Defects

To creation non-corrosion defects, panels treated according to Example 2were subjected to glass bead blasting as set forth in Example 1. Glassbead blasting was conducted at only selected corrosion defects, andceased after all evidence of corrosion was removed from that particulardefect. Non-corrosion defects and corrosion defects were then quantifiedfor such features as size and depth.

Example 4 Painting Substrates

Substrates treated according to Examples 1 through 3 were primed with astrontium chromate-based inhibitor with a dry film thickness target ofbetween 0.0006″-0.0009″ on both surfaces. The substrates were thentop-coated with a dry film thickness target of between 0.0018″-0.0020″on the exterior surface. Topcoat was flash cured in an over at 225° F.for seven minutes. Total film thickness in one run was about 0.0035″,which was above the target thickness of 0.0024″ to about 0.0029″.

Example 5 NDT Results

Substrates prepared according to Examples 1-4 were tested with flashthermography. Thermography was performed using a Thermal Wave Imaging(TWI) Thermoscope DM IR NDI System. Tests were performed using theEchotherm 6 operating program, at a power level of 100%, a flash delayof 2.3 milliseconds, a pulse width of 3 milliseconds, a gate width of10, 100 frames, the slope mode, a filter setting of “mean, 1×1, 1cycle,” no advanced frame settings, a flash frame of 10, and a number 2primary gate for analysis.

FIG. 20 shows a typical test image. There are four mechanical defects onthe left side of the specimen and four corrosion defects on the rightside of the specimen. Both types of defects (mechanical and corrosion)are clearly visible, with the exception of the mechanical defect in thelower left corner of the image. The corrosion defects are clearlydistinguishable from the mechanical defects, which could be importantwhen checking previously treated areas. It was speculated that thecorrosion defects appear much lighted than the surrounding area becausethe corrosion products tend to restrict the flow of heat into theinspection surface, whereas the mechanical defects only reveal a minorchange in thermal properties when compared to the surrounding paintedmaterial.

Further thermal imagery was taken. FIG. 21 shows another example of aspecimen analyzed by flash thermography. In FIG. 21, corrosion defectsare on top, while mechanical defects are on the bottom. Although themechanical defects were different depths, they are all detectedsimilarly.

FIGS. 22 and 23 show the same test panel viewed under two imagingpalettes. The corrosion defect is above the mechanical defect in thisimage. The ability to discern only the mechanical defect in FIG. 23shows the ability to discern a mechanical defect from a corrosion defectby changing the color imaging palette of the thermography.

Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described forpurposes of illustration, it will be evident to those persons skilled inthe art that numerous variations of the details of the present teachingmay be made without departing from the invention as defined in theappended claims. Those patents and publications discussed herein shouldbe viewed as indicative of the level of skill in the art, though noadmission is made that any document is a prior art reference. All of theforegoing patents and publications herein, including but not limited tothose included in the background of the invention are herebyincorporated by reference. To the extent that the incorporated materialconflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosurematerial set forth in this description, the disclosure as explicitly setforth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated byreference.

As used herein, the singular forms “an,” “a,” and “the” used in thespecification and claims include both singular and plural unless thecontent clearly dictates otherwise. While specific embodiments andexamples of the invention are described herein, one skilled in the artwill recognize that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in theappended claims.

1. A method for creating at least one discrete corrosion defect in thelaboratory on a substrate, comprising: a. providing a substrate; b.providing a masking material; c. scoring said masking material toprovide at least one discrete aperture corresponding to at least onedesired defect diameter and location; d. adhering said masking materialto said substrate; e. providing an DC electric power supply with currentcontrol and circuit, wherein said unmasked substrate surface area is theanode in said circuit and is at least partially immersed in electrolytesolution to cover the exposed anode surface; f. completing said circuitand creating at least one discrete corrosion defect at said defectlocations on said substrate.
 2. The method of claim 1, including whereinsaid substrate is selected from the group consisting of aluminum,aluminum alloy, iron, iron alloy, and steel alloy.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, including wherein said masking material is a polypropylenetape.
 4. The method of claim 1, including wherein said electrolytesolution is selected from the group consisting of natural or simulatedseawater and saltwater.
 5. A method for creating at least one mechanicaldefect in a substrate, comprising preparing a substrate according toclaim 1, and further comprising the step of removing corrosion productfrom at least one corrosion defect, forming at least one mechanicaldefect.
 6. A method for providing a painted substrate with at least onediscrete mechanical defect, comprising preparing a substrate accordingto claim 5, removing said masking material, and painting or coating saidsubstrate.
 7. A method for non-destructive detection of at least onemechanical defect in a painted substrate, comprising preparing a paintedsubstrate according to claim 6 and examining said substrate with atleast one non-destructive testing method.
 8. A method for evaluatingnon-destructive inspection results, comprising a. selecting a paintedobject for evaluation of degree of corrosion by non-destructiveinspection; b. performing non-destructive inspection on a test standardthat is a painted substrate prepared according to the method of claim 6,wherein the substrate is painted with paint having the same compositionas the paint used on the painted object; c. developing data collectionand analysis procedures based on results obtained from step (b); d.performing non-destructive inspection on said painted object using thedata collection and analysis procedures; and e. evaluating the resultsof the inspection performed in step (d).
 9. A method for providing apainted substrate with at least one discrete corrosion defect,comprising preparing a substrate according to claim 1, removing saidmasking material and painting or coating said substrate.
 10. A methodfor non-destructive detection of at least one corrosion defect in apainted substrate, comprising preparing a painted substrate according toclaim 9 and examining said substrate with at least one non-destructivetesting method.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said non-destructivetesting method is selected from the group consisting of thermography,ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing, microwave testing,shearography, and infrared testing.
 12. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising subjecting said painted substrate to a stress prior to saidnon-destructive testing.
 13. A method for evaluating non-destructivetest results, comprising a. performing non-destructive detection on apainted article; b. performing non-destructive detection on a paintedsubstrate according to the method of claim 10; and c. comparing theresults of step (a) and step (b).